Afterward, through interpreter Tim Lin, he called it, “probably the worst game in my career.”

Chen, whose command is often pinpoint, struggled with his off-speed stuff. The Red Sox waited on his fastball. And pummeled it.

His ERA jumped to 3.76 from 3.19 – an ugly development.

But what’s more concerning is the team’s ERA, 4.65. That’s sitting at 27th in the majors. And it’s worse than last year’s 4.42 mark.

Chris Tillman is having the best year for the Orioles. But Chen has been the club’s most consistent pitcher. They need him to return to form if they have any chance of staying in the playoff hunt.

“I have to apologize to my team. I didn’t want to hurt my team,” Chen said. “I still have to keep my same approach and do my work, same preparation every day. … Nothing different, I just need to come back strong.”